High School

To become a skilled gunsmith, you will need a strong background in metallurgy, ballistics, welding, machining, chemistry, woodworking, and electronics. High school courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, drafting or mechanical drawing, blueprint reading, metalworking, and woodworking will provide some of that background. 

Postsecondary Training

Some people learn the trade of gunsmithing through an apprenticeship in a gunsmith's shop or in a firearms factory. This can take up to four years of study. Another approach is to take classes at one of approximately a dozen gunsmithing schools around the country. These schools require prospective students to be high school graduates and may require entrance exams. 

Two types of educational programs are available. Some schools offer gunsmith diplomas after you complete a specified amount of classroom and shop instruction. Other schools require two years of course work and grant an associate's degree. Some of the subjects taught at these gunsmithing schools include algebra, trigonometry, metallurgy, engineering drawing, machining, ballistics, physics, English, speech, and technical report writing. In shop classes, students learn welding, brazing, soldering, barrel fitting, small-parts design, custom stock-making, and heat treatment.

The U.S. military also gives basic training in arms maintenance to recruits and advanced training to specialists. Local recruiting offices can provide information about training opportunities in this field.

Certification or Licensing

A federal firearms license is required for gunsmiths who run their own businesses. Gunsmiths who repair firearms for a licensed employer often do not need a license themselves. Applications and more information about the application process are available at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' Web site, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/apply-license.

Experience as an apprentice or in an informal or formal training program is required to become a gunsmith.

If you are interested in becoming a gunsmith, you should have a mechanical aptitude, an interest in fine craftsmanship, and the ability to do precision work. Good vision and manual dexterity are also needed. Because every firearm is unique, and because a great amount of work is put into customizing a gun, you should be patient, thorough, and a good problem solver.